Blanket insulation and method of and apparatus for forming the same



L. M. GILMAN Feb., 3, 1948.

BLANKET INSULATION AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 13, 1946 ATTORNEY-S Feb. 3, 1948.

| M. GILMAN BLANKET INSULATION AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE SAME Filed March 13, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2- INVENTOR L JWPENCE M. 0/1, M4N

ATTORNEYS Feb. 3,1948. 1.. M. GILMAN 2,435,347

BLANKET INSULATION AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE SAME Filed March-13, i946 :s Sheets-Sheet 3 s I I WI a ,m' 25 l I} I II [I] iNVENTOR F nun-ms. 674mm ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 3, 1948 2,435,311 nmnxa'r msuurrrou AND Ma'mon or AND APPARATUS FOR FORMIN SAME Lawrence M. Gilman, Gilman, Conn.

Application March 13, 1946, Serial No. 854,162

7 Claims. 1

My invention relates generally to insulation blankets, and in particular it relates to insulation of the envelope type and a novel method of and apparatus for forming the same.

The main object of my invention is the provislon, of a new and different kind of blanket insulation, and the provision of a novel method of and apparatus for manufacturing the same in a continuous operation. Insulation blankets, wrapper-enclosed, have been made in the past, but these have never been made in a continuous operation nor have they been enclosed in wrappers similar to mine. conventionally, it is known to be old to form a continuous sheet of batting of insulating material and then to enclose same in an enveloping sheath, but never before has this been done in a continuous operation wherein, as in my invention, the wrapper or sheath material is preformed as a unitary elongated flattened tube, automatically opened to receive the batt, and then closed over the batt, and the wrapper thereafter sealed around the batt, and either out into desired lengths or removed onto a take-up spool.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus for automatically and continuously opening an elongated, flattened tubular envelope or sheath, depositing a continuous batt length therewithin, automatically sealing the envelope or sheath about the batt, and thereafter removing the sheathed or enveloped batt.

Other objects, as structural details of portions of my apparatus, and specific steps in my method, the specific nature and structure of the wrapper, etc., will be obvious from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of my invention, and will be specifically pointed out in the following description thereof.

In the drawings annexed hereto, forming a part hereof,

Figure 1 is a side elevational diagrammatic view of one form of apparatus constructed according to and embodying my invention. illustrating the various steps in my novel method:

Figure 2 is a top plan diagrammatic view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are, respectively, a top plan view, a side elevational view and an end elevational view of the spreader shoe component of my apparatus;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the empty flattened tubular envelope-sheath component'of my invention, partially expanded, with a portion broken away to show the securement of the envelope to the backing member; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the expanded and insulation-filled envelope-sheath, partly broken away. l

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, my apparatus is indicated generally by reference numeral Ill, and comprises a wide, flat, elongated and horizontally extending platform 12, supported in spaced relation to the floor as by uprights l4, H. The batt of insulating material (which may be of cotton, ligno-cellulosic fibrous material, rock wool, or of any other suitable or desired material) is designated by reference numeral I6, and may be formed by conventional means (not shown) either in the form of strips of predetermined length, or as a continuous ribbon, as shown, carried by an endless conveyor belt l8 onto one end of platform l2, and between a battery of power driven compression rollers 20, 22, mounted above platform l2, to compress the batt I B, originally formed of uneven thickness, to uniform thickness between the several rollers of the battery, and to advance same along the platform.

Batt l6 may be formed in a wide strip measuring 72" across, and may be slit into 18" wide or 24" wide strips, or into strips of any desired width, for insertion into an enclosing envelopesheath, the 18" and 24" widths being more or less conventional sizes.

In Fig. 2, I show my '72" batt, after compression by the power-driven squeeze rollers 20, 22, being moved between two pairs of opposed slitting rollers 24, 26, and severed thereby into three strips 30, 40, 50, of equal 24" width. After the slitting, the three strips 30, 40, 50 may be guided, as by suitable channels 32, 24in any desired direction. I will describe and illustrate my invention in respect of but one strip, as 30, it being understood that the other strips 40, 50, may be'similarly treated by similar apparatus, only that method and apparatus operating on the one strip 30 being shown and described herein.

Below platform I2, I dispose a casing 42, within which, on a, horizontal shaft 44, I dispose a roll or magazine of preformed envelope-sheath material 46, which comprises a backing sheet 48 (of paper, textile material, or combination thereof) the sides of which are bent over to form flanges 52, 52 by which the material may be secured to studsor rafters (not shown). 0n the side of backing sheet 48 opposite the bent-over flanges 52, 52, I deposit a continuous layer, or striations, of a suitable adhesive material 54 and thereby secure thereto the envelope-sheath 56 itself, which comprises an elongated sheet of suitable material as paper, impregnated paper, textile material or the like having a base portion 58, pleatedside wall portions and top flaps 82, 64. Theses-top flaps 62, 64, as shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 7,1are of unequal widths, one flap 62 being substantially half the width of base 58 and the other flap being slightly wider than flap 62, so as to overlap same slightly, as shown at 68 (see Figs. 6 and 7). The roll or magazine of the flattened tubular accuser envelope 48, mounted on shaft 44 in casing 42, is empty of any flllter, and is more collapsed than as shown' in Fig. 6, with pleated side walls, 88, 88 folded inwardly, and the top flap, 84 lying flatly against the bottom 88. As the envelope 48 is drawn upwardly, it is led into engagement with an expanding shoe mounted on platform !2 and downwardly angled therefrom as shown in Fig. 1. Shoe It may be formed of metal, wood or any other rigid material, and comprises a tapered and flattened leading nose portion 12,- flaring gradually to widened sides 14 and tapering upwardly to a crown 18. Shoe 18 may be supported immediately below platform i2 as by straps l8, l8 and may be adjustable in height.-

The curved upper surface 88 of shoe Ill maybe continuous or perforate, the desiderate being a device with a thin'tip end as" to flt into the space between the bottom" and the sides and the top flaps 82, 84 to flare the sheath and spread apart and raise the side walls and flaps 82, 84 to extend at right angles to bottom 88. Shoe 10 is so disposed that its rear 88 isimmediately be ow the level of platform i2 and Just past the point where strip 88 is moved onto the platform from the battery of slitting rollers 24, 28 (see Fig. 1). A pair of vertically upstanding wall members 82, 82 are provided and secured to the rear of shoe 18 to keep the top flaps 82, 84 in the right angle position; with respect to the bottom portion 88. means of the spreader shoe l8 and the walls 82, the empty and collapsed envelope-sheath 48 is opened in U-form, so that at the point P (Fig. 2: where batt strip 80 is led onto platform l2, it rides over the top portion 84 of shoe l8 and between walls 82, 82 where it is, deposited onto the bottom portion 88 of the now-expanded envelope material 48.

The envelope-sheath 48, batt-strip 38 filled at this point, is then led through a tube or tunnel having progressively inwardly and downwardly curving and converging side-walls 88, 88, causing theflaps 82, 84 on the moving sheath 48 to be bent over and downonto batt-strip 38, into the position shown in Fig. '7.

A suitable mechanism may be provided and disposed near the exit from tube or tunnel 88 to glue the overlapping flap portions, one form consisting-of a shoe 80 extending laterally between v the flap overlaps and-having'a constant feed of adhesive material'to be deposited on the overlapping surfaces. l

The enveloped batt strip is then led between a battery of power-driven pressure and squeeze posed. may be power driven. In casing 42, the

collapsedenvelope is drawn of! shaft 44 bybattery 82, 84 while the power driven take-up shaft I88 winds up the filled and sealed envelope, ready for attachment to wall, roof, ceiling or, floor structures.

It'is obvious that with my novel method and apparatus, I am enabled to continuously form a new type of insulation blanket which is completely enclosed and sealed within a sheath: that in my insulation blanket there is only one sew In this manner, and by.

4 operation to be performed: that in my blanket there is only a single line of joint for the enclosure throughout the entire length thereof; that the various steps can be performed continuously andsmoothly; that the steps of mening the collapsed envelope-sheath, depositing the batt therein, closing the envelope flaps over the batt and sealing same are carried out evenly.

that the strips may be made as wide or as narrow as desired, all within the scope of my invention. My new blanket construction comprises a backer having means P thereto whereby the blanket may be secured to a building structure, an envelope securedthereto, insulating material disposed and sealed within the envelope with the line of Joint of the envelope extending longitudinally and centrally of the blanket on the side thereof remote. from the backer.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for opening and fllling an elongated envelope wrapping with blanket insulating material which envelope consists of an elongated sheet of material having a central portion, a pair of side portions,.and a pair of top flap portions, each of which flaps is substantially half the width of the central portion, one of the flaps being wider than the other and adapted to overlap same, the apparatus comprising conveying means to move the envelope sheet at a constant speed laterally. means to spread the side walls and flaps of the moving sheet to expose the central portion thereof to permit access toothe top of the central portion, conveying means to move an elongated strip of insulating material at the same speed as the envelope sheet, and means to deposit same on the exposed central portion, means to fold the flaps over and on top of the strip with the flap edges overlapping, and means to secure the overlapped edges together.

2. An apparatus for continuously forming completely enveloped insulation blanketing, the enveloping material prior to insertion of the insulation comprising an elongated sheet of material having a base portion, a pair of side wall portions, and a pair of top flap portions, each of which flaps is substantially half the width of the base, one of the flaps being wider than the other and adapted to overlap said other, the apparatus comprising roller means to draw the empty and collapsed envelope continuously at a constant rate of speed, flaring shoe means to open the envelope to permit access to the base, roller mean to move a strip of insulating material continuously andat the same rate of speed as the envelope, the flared sides of the enveloping material guiding the moving strip of insulation ontothe moving base of the envelope, means to foldthe top flaps over and on top of the strip, with the flaps overlapping, and means to secure the overla ped flaps.

8. Apparatus as in claim 2, in which the envelope opening and flap closing means are stadepositing a batt of insulating material inside the flared envelope, and thereafter folding the envelope over the batt and sealing same.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the spreading means comprises a shoe member, the rear of which is substantially as wide as the central portion of the envelope sheet, the shoe tapering forwardly and downwardly towards the narrow leading front edge thereof.

a 6. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the 1 flap folding means comprises a hollow tunnel member having a flat floor portion, and an arched dome portion, the dome being suillciently high at one end thereof to receive thereunder the spread top and side walls of the sheet, the height of said dome tapering downwardly and rearwardly towards the other end, spaced from the floor suflicientlyto permit the blanket filled envelope to pass therethrough.

5 the envelope.

LAWRENCE M. GILMAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Webb Dec. 4, 1945 

